, 1887-05-03
ROMANCE OF A LETTER.

ture, neither ugly nor pretty, but did
not envy her. Let all the men on earth
admire hcr-0ne loved me. If / was fair
in his eyes / cared nothing for her.
The other girls were jealous at times.
Nfadge Burt and Barbara Brown declared
that there was no such thing as getting
any attention from any one where she
was, and certainly she tried her best to
fascinnte. Militant Bray was her name,
and I understand that, young rs she was,
she was u divorced woman.
1t may have been that she was very
much i'll used by her husband and Ind
been the injured party altogether-I pre-
sumo 1t Is often so-bLt pure women will
bear n great deal rather than sever the
holy tie that binds them to q husbands
side, and there Is always u doubt about q
divorce. Some of the ladies' ut Mrs. Hor-
toms shrugged their shoulders and won
dered what tho old Indy had been think
ing Of to take Mrs. Bray in. The gentle
men, however, fought in her defense.
Beautiful, musical, fond Of Irritation and
apt at fiattery, she won her way into their
liking. For my part, l did not respect her
one whit. I did not see anything to love
In her, but / admired her. Unlike most
women, | always found myself able TO sec
the charm that men see in n personally
attractive woman.
But were | a man / could not do as men
do-flatter these 1irts at the expense of
true hearted women who love them with
all their souls. When good Mrs. Carman
wen to her room with tears in her eyes,
leaving Mr.. Carman whispering soft
nothings In Mrs. Brny's ear, and when
little Ellie Fay cTimsoued and trembled
with anger because her lover forgot her
while he turned the beauty's music and
looked down into her eyes, l often thought
10 myself that those were poor triumphs
after oil, and those men who gave them
to her were but silly creatures. She liked
none of them. She Knocked them and
had little nicknamcs for each. She was
cold In heart as she was warm in manner.
Her impassioned glances were those Of an
actress and nothing more.
She gave these Glances to my Harry as
well as to others. but l had no fear of
their effect. or course he knew she was
handsome and that sho sang well; so did /.
We had met at Mrs. Horizons. I was
a orphan and taught music for my bread;
he was u young clerk in q Wholesale house.
At our first meeting VIC had liked each
other, and he was The only lover | had
ever had. When ] gaze him my betrothal
kiss it was with lips Shat had never met
those of any man before, and | was glad
20 think of 1t. We had been engaged
three months and were to be married In
the spring. We were wrapped up In each
other, and l believed concerned ourselves
very little about Mrs. Bray. / did not.
II pleased me better to think of better
women. There were others whose minds
were continually running on her, however.
Jealous Ellie Fay could never quite forget
her. Over and over and over again she
sat in her room, with tears pouring down
her cheeks, and talked of her:
She's n wretch, ~ she declared, 20 bold,
forward, cruel creature. She knows
Charlie is engaged to me. She knows it.
l see it in her eyes, and she works so hard
to get him to herself. Charlie doesn't
know what he is doing for himself. l
will break with him yet, and l do love
him so. No one will ever owe him so
much"
Then she would cry again and begin the
old story Of Mrs. Brny's conduct, Of her
looks, her ~contrivances, her becks and
wreathed smiles. l felt sorry for the
child-she was but 1G-and sorry, too, for
Charlie, who was acting us most foolish
boys do under those circumstances But
one morning she began another strain.
Mrs. Bray is at work with your Harry
now" sho said, land she'll twist him
Charlie. It's witchcraft those women
60 49, NAhbA BV"SA VI OAh
You'll see, Ethel; you'll suffer as l do
soon"
AS the day went on / noticed one or two
things that were suspicious. l saw that
she contrived to meet my lover in the
halls and ON the stairs, to sit near him Mt
dinner time, to go u upon the balcony
when he did.
Charlie Beech was allowed to slip back
into his old place in E1ie's heart, and my
Harry was Mrs. Bray's object.
Ellie Ind been sharper han l, but
yield, l felt sure.
1t was about the time that Harry's
business compelled him to choose n board
ing place further down town. He left
Mrs, Horizons and only called to see me
in the evenings, n we began to write to
each Their. l nave the little notes he
wrote me carefully hidden away even now.
They are very precious to me. As |
read them over they bring those hours
back again and | am II young and loving
girl once more.
| never loved Harry more tenderly than
when | sat down to my desk one morning
to tell him of q little festiyity which l had
been invited to attend, and to ask his
escort. l never shall forget that day.
After l had posted the letter l sat in my
room II sewed pom the pretty dress !
intended 10 wear, thinking all the while
that 1t was Harry's ~favorite color, and
that he would be sure to like it.
Ellie, happy in her recovered lover, sat
viii me and read aloud from n little book
Of verses Charlie had given her. They
were not fine verses, nor was she an ele-
giant reader, but there was love in them
and in her heart and hat suflced.
l had finished the dress, and sat look
ing down into the street, when / saw a
boy hurrying along. 1t was the errand
boy NJ Harry's place, and Ellie, who had
seen him also, ran down stairs to bring
my note To me, for we both knew that 1t
was my answer that shImmered in the
little white envelope in his hand. She
ran down gayly, humming n tune. She
returned with II very serious face. A
note was in her hand, with my name
upon it IN Harry's writing, but her ex.
preston frightened me so that / caught
my breath.
What is 1t, Enie,"
Ethel, 50 she said, very sadly, II must
tell you, though you'll hnte me. The boy
who brough: that note brought one for
Mrs Bray
The body is more susceptible to benefit
from Hoods Sarsaparilla now than at any
IN